Ohana One & Vuzix Full Case Study

Delivering Life-Saving Medical Coverage Globally Through Surgical Remote Assist

Full Case Study | Global Health & Medical Education

Overview

Around the world, access to safe and timely surgical care remains critically limited—especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A global shortage of trained surgeons, combined with legal barriers, travel restrictions, and high costs, has made it difficult to deliver advanced surgical training where it is needed most.

Ohana One, a California-based nonprofit, recognized this challenge early. In partnership with Vuzix, Help Lightning, and TeleVU, Ohana One created a scalable remote surgical training and mentorship program that enables surgeons to receive expert guidance in real time—without leaving their home countries.

The result is the Surgical Sight Program, a technology-enabled model that expands global surgical capacity while keeping care local.

The Challenge

The shortage of trained surgeons is most severe in LMICs, where physicians often face:

• Limited access to advanced surgical education

• Lack of experienced mentors

• Travel and visa restrictions

• High costs associated with in-person training

• COVID-19–related disruptions

Many surgeons must leave their communities to receive training, reducing already scarce access to care. Others never receive the advanced mentorship needed to perform complex procedures safely.

Ohana One identified the need for a remote, high-quality, and sustainable training solution that would allow surgeons to continue serving patients while advancing their skills.

The Vision

Ohana One’s mission is to bridge global gaps in surgical care by providing:

• Access to advanced surgical training

• One-to-one mentorship from expert surgeons

• Innovative, easy-to-use technology

• High-quality educational resources

The guiding principle is simple:
train surgeons where they live, so patients can be treated where they live.

The Solution: Surgical Sight Program

Ohana One launched the Surgical Sight Program, built around Vuzix M400 Smart Glasses and real-time collaboration software.

How the Program Works

• Each participating surgeon receives a pair of Vuzix M400 smart glasses

• Surgeons are paired with a volunteer mentor who is an established expert in their specialty

• Using first-person “see-what-I-see” video streaming, mentors observe surgeries in real time

• Mentors provide live guidance, feedback, and instruction during procedures

• All interaction is hands-free, high-resolution, and individualized

This approach allows expert mentors to guide surgeons as if they were physically present in the operating room.

Technology Stack

The program combines:

• Vuzix M400 Smart Glasses

  • Lightweight and comfortable for all-day use

  • Personal heads-up display for high-quality viewing

  • Hands-free operation for uninterrupted surgical workflow

• Help Lightning and TeleVU software

  • Real-time video collaboration

  • Augmented reality overlays

  • Interactive “virtual presence” for mentors

Mentors can highlight areas on screen, guide incision placement, and assist with decision-making—creating a seamless, real-time teaching environment.

Clinical Applications

The Surgical Sight Program is currently active across multiple specialties, including:

• Plastics and reconstructive surgery

• General surgery

• Colorectal surgery

• Neurology and neurosurgery

• OB/GYN

• Orthopedics

The technology is used not only during live surgery, but also for:

• Pre-surgical planning

• Post-operative recovery and follow-up

• Ongoing education and case review

Benefits for Surgeons and Patients

The program delivers immediate and long-term benefits:

For Surgeons

• Access to expert mentorship regardless of location

• Ability to perform more complex procedures safely

• Faster learning and skill development

• No need to leave their communities for training

For Patients

• Improved access to advanced surgical care

• Reduced need to travel long distances

• Better outcomes through earlier intervention

• Stronger local healthcare systems

Global Impact (as of late 2021)

The Surgical Sight Program has achieved measurable, real-world impact:

• 95 surgeons onboarded and active in the program

• 77 hospitals across six continents supporting Ohana One

• 41 countries served, benefiting over 4.43 billion people

• 1,664 life-changing services delivered through Ohana One’s international surgical aid since 2019

• 44 full surgeries completed using Vuzix smart glasses with live mentor support

Why It Matters

Rather than extracting talent from underserved regions, Ohana One’s model builds capacity locally. Surgeons stay in their home countries, continue providing care, and gain advanced skills at the same time.

This approach creates a multiplier effect:

• More trained surgeons

• More patients treated

• Stronger, more resilient healthcare systems

As Ohana One emphasizes, the outcome is straightforward:
more surgeons trained leads to more lives saved.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Ohana One and Vuzix demonstrates how wearable technology can fundamentally transform global healthcare education. By combining smart glasses with real-time mentorship, the Surgical Sight Program delivers advanced surgical training anywhere in the world—without borders.

This is not experimental technology. It is a proven, scalable solution already changing lives.